According to Michael Smith, this maneuver at the roundabout is referred to as "the moving gap"

Michael Smith reports on Saigon’s traffic and offers some helpful insights. This report was published in the Saigon Times.

I was joking the other day that I only use my brain 10% of the time – only for the most important things. In Saigon that would mean I’d have to reserve my day’s quota of brain power to survive the mayhem on the roads on my motorbike. There’s no end to the miasma of bizarre driving acts that happen out there, but I’ve tried to jot down a few of the common ones that test my reflexes and emotions.

The Vertical Merge: This is my favorite, but it horrified me when I first caught a xe om in Saigon. Instead of waiting for a gap to turn left (and lets face it – there aren’t any gaps) you just head straight at the swathe of oncoming traffic, veering slightly for the center line.

The Moving Gap: This is a roundabout maneuver that I can do slowly with some aplomb, but I have seen some maniacs and a few straight-backed Vespa- Zen girls do it at top speed without even blinking. Roundabouts present streams of traffic going at different angles, some at right angles to ourselves. To get through you have to judge the moving gap precisely. Most riders take it easy, but when you see someone do it at top speed, it’s quite impressive.

The Shepherd: Turning left at traffic lights when the oncoming motorbikes are 20 thick and 200 deep…

To read the rest of the article, click onto the Saigon Times.